Mary Kate Moore Platts

Mary Kate Moore Platts, age 93, of Gulfport, passed away peacefully at home on Tuesday, June 3, 2025.

Born in Memphis, TN, Mary Kate was delivered to her parents in Hattiesburg, MS at seven weeks old. At an early age, her family moved to Gulfport, where she would live the rest of her life. She was a class of 1949 graduate of Gulfport High School and enjoyed keeping up with her classmates through all the years of her life. She was a long-time member of First Baptist Church of Gulfport. 

Her work life began as an older teenager, as she had been sent to interview for a job at a shoe store. She was told that another young lady had already been sent to the store and would secure the job, but that it would still be good opportunity for her to get interview experience. Mary Kate (in her full, fast stride) saw the girl window shopping on her way to the job interview, promptly passed her up, got to the store first, and got the job – and she LOVED selling shoes… In 1950, she began working at United Gas company, until she married. At that time, it was company policy that United Gas did not employ “married women”, so a career change was obviously in order (it was the early 1950s, and Ken Platts-who worked for United Gas- and his brother Art flipped a coin to see who would get to invite her to a party they were having at the river…the rest is history). After being given her 90-day notice from the gas company, Mary Kate applied at the US Department of Agriculture for a temporary clerk typist position that parlayed into a 34-year career as a Budget Analyst, earning the Outstanding Female Federal Employee of the MS Coast award in 1976. After her retirement from USDA, she began a 20-year second career as a small business owner of Artiques, an antiques and collectibles store, as she needed an appropriate outlet for all of her wonderful excess acquisitions from her garage sale addiction. That business naturally expanded into an estate sale company, and she and her family conducted multitudes of estate sales along the MS Coast.

Mary Kate was preceded in death by her loving husband of 65 years, Art Platts; her parents, Luther L. and Betty Moore; her birth mother Frankie Westmoreland Allen; and her sister, Janie Estes, whom she found because of a chance encounter with some out of towners visiting Artiques when Mary Kate was 72.

She is survived by her son, Will Platts; her daughters, Lark Bennett (Paul) and Melanie Lynch (Hewson); her grandchildren, Jeremy Bennett (Alicia), Ryan Bennett (Courtney), Shantel McKay (Joey), Casey Elliott (Jacob), and Ian DeGruchy (Nikki); her seventeen great-grandchildren and one great-great granddaughter. She is also survived by her nieces Gyl Estes and Barbara Comer, and other loved nieces, nephews and cousins.

Beyond her professional life, Mary Kate was a well-known local artist that was active in both the Gulf Coast and the Biloxi Art Associations for many years. She also loved antiques, especially great old glassware, and was an avid collector. She found her deep true joy later in life, as she became a self-taught, prolific, award-winning quilter, belonging to several local guilds, including GSQA and Magnolia Quilters Association. As a member of Serious Quilters, she helped create more than one thousand baby quilts that were then given to all of the NICU babies and their families at Memorial Hospital. In her last months, when she could no longer quilt and was mostly bedridden, she continued to help oversee the baby quilt process with the help of her quilt sisters. While her body was failing her, she kept her mind sharp by continuing to read books until her eyes tired, completing as many word search puzzles as her pens and hands would allow, and giving her daughters daily tasks to complete to her expectations. Visits from her friends always noticeably lifted her spirits.

Mama was a real marvel, a lovely, complex mixture of pragmatism, unique talents and creativity, intelligence, wit, keen business sense and ambition, living mostly in a time where women weren’t really allowed to show any of those traits. So, she lightly disguised them with a healthy coat of Southern charm and went about making her own way. She was not a Southern homemaker, nor a true Southern cook – if she followed the recipe and had all of the ingredients, it was wonderful, but if she employed her “creativity” and substituted an important ingredient, it could go wrong quickly… I think she would greatly encourage us all to walk fast and get there first, don’t let your beginnings define your ending, don’t ever let your hands or your mind stay idle, always share your unique gifts and talents and ignite and encourage creativity in others whenever you can, and ask questions – be curious, even a tad nosey- you might find the most beautiful things. After all, she found her blood family by simply asking “Where are y’all from?”.

The family extends heartfelt gratitude to Mary Kate’s nurses and caregivers – especially Alexus, Jennifer, Sebrina and Shonda. We would also like to thank her quilting sisters, who became her extended family and treasured friends. And special thanks to Monette Robbins, who cared for her when we so needed a short respite, and to Randy Robbins, for seeing that Mama made it safely Home. Lastly, we would like to thank Dr. Allison Wall, for taking perfect, precious care of our family.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Tired Dog Rescue, P.O. Box 10751, Gulfport, MS 39505-0751.

Visitation will be on Friday, June 13, 2025, from 1 – 3 pm at the Riemann Family Funeral Home, 11280 Three Rivers Rd, Gulfport. A memorial service will be held at 3 pm in the funeral home chapel. A private interment will take place in Floral Hills Memorial Gardens.